Strain-relieving attachment for telegraph-keys.



I PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908 Q w. H. TEAGHWORTH.

STRAIN RELIEVING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEGRAPH KEYS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1906.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE. I

I WILLIAM H. TEACHWORTH, OF WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS.

STRAIN-RELIEVING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEGRAPH-KEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed June 1, 1906. Serial 0. 319,796.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waxahachie, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Strain-Relieving Attachments for Telegraph-Keys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a strain relieving attachment for telegraph keys, and the object thereof is to provide an attachment of the character referred to in manner as here.

member of the attachment.

' The invention further aims to provide a strain relieving attachment for telegraph keys embodying a key member which is adapted to be arranged in such relation with respect to the tele raph key that the operator is allowed to 0 range from the telegraph key to the key member without any loss of time, thus doing away with the s acing in letters composed of dots'and das les combined, and allowing the operator to send clear Morse.

The invention further aims to provide a strain relieving attachment for telegraph keys w hich shall be simple in its construction, strong, durable, ci'licientdn its use, enabling a rest to be imparted to the operator during the sending of messages, and can bc ro'adil y set up in operative relation with respect to the telegraph key, and comparatively inexpensivei'o n'lanul'acturo.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novelty construction comprising an arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the :wconipanying drawil'lgS, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modiiications can be resorted to which some within the scope of the claims hereunto appondml.

In describing theinvcntion in detail rci'orcncc is had to the accompanying dwwings wherein like reference characters dc 1 201'- H. TEACH 'views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top lan view of a strain-re lieving device for to egraph keys in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional detaiL- Referring characters,'1 denotes a base upon which is mounted the usual form of telegraph key'2.

3 indicates ,a binding post 'to which the conductor 4 is connected, the key 2 being pivoted at one end between the said post 3 ,and the stand post 5.

To the base 1 is attached the contact post 6 having connected thereto the conductor 7, and the said post 6 is adapted to be contacted with by the key 2 in the known manner. To the base 1 is also attached a pair of binding posts 8, 9, for connection to the line to which are respectively connected the conductors 4 and 7. The base 1 is furthermore provided with. binding posts 10, 11, and 12,'and between the postslO and 8 extends a conductor 13; between the posts 11 and 9 extends a conductor 13*, and between the posts 12 and 9 extends a conductor 14.,

To the post 10 is attached a switch arm 15 adapted to be brought into engagement with a contactlstrip 16 carried by the post 11 so as to close the circuit. A stop 17 is provided on the base 1 for, limitin the movement in one direction of the switdh arm 15.

Mounted'upon the base 1 is a transversely extending slotted guide bracket 18 connected with the post, 8 by abridge piece 19, and to one end oi' the bracket 18 is secured one end. of a transversely extending vibrating sprin r 20, whose other end is connected to am insulated from a stand post 21. The vibrating spring 20 extends a portion of its length in parallelism with respect to bracket 18 and is adapted to be engaged at various points throughout the length thereof by an adjustable clamping member 22, so that by such i-angagcment the ilexil'iility of the spring 20 can bo' i'cgulatcil as desired. The clamping member 22 straddles the spring 20, and has one end. thereof mounted upon the top odgc'ol' the bracket 18, and the said member 22 is retained in clamping position by an ad justablo binding screw 23 extending through said member 22 and the slot of the bracket 18.

Fixed atits lower end to the vibrating spring 20 is a vertically extending vibratory responding parts throughout the several to the drawings by reference contact arm 24 weighted on its upper end, as at 25, and having a contact portion 26 posi-. tioned intermediate the ends thereof. The vibrating arm "24 is positioned between a stationary upright 27 and a vertically ex-; tending spring ressed rocking and releasing member 28. e upright 27 is fixed to the base 1, as at 29, an carries at its u per end an adjusting screw 30 for limiting t e movement of the arm 24 in one direction, the screw 30 bein positioned in the ath of the weight 25. he member 28 is ed at its lower end to a rock shaft 31, which is journaled in the vertically extending lugs 32 formed on the fixed plate 33. The rock shaft 31 is attached to a coiled compression spring 34, the latter being connected to an adjusting screw 35 which is adapted .to adjust the tension. of the spring 34 when'occasion so requires, and said screw 35 is carried by a bracket or post 36 fixed to the base 1. When the arm 24 vibrates, it is adapted tomove in the path of a transversely extending contact arm 37, having a contact point 38, the latter adapted to be engaged by the I contact portion 26 of the arm'24. The con tact arm 37 is secured at one end to a verti-.

call extending member 39 which is attached to t e binding 0st 12, and the said'arm 37 is somewhat resi ient and is adjusted throu h the medium of a screw 40 carried by the vertically extending support 41 fixed to the base 1.

. The reference character 42 key member, which is pivoted intermediate its ends on the supports 43, and the said ke member is arranged in such relation with respect to the key 2 that the operator can very readily shift from the finger piece of the key 2 to the finger piece of the key member 42. The lower portion of the key member 42 at the front endthereof is provided with a depending stud 44, which is adapted to engage the base 1, so as to limit the movement in one direction of the key member 42. A recess 45 is provided in the base so as not to cause the stud 44 to contact with the base 1 before the necessary movement or stroke has been given to the key member 42. The key member 42 at its inner end is bent upwardly and outwardly at an inclination, as at 46, and said angularly disposed portion 46 of the key member 42 is provided with an opening 47, through which extends a flexible member 48, said flexible member 48 being attached at one end to the lower portion of the rocking member 28, and, at its other end, is connected to a screw member 49 carrying a nut 50. The nut 50 acts as a means for limiting the movement of the rocking member 28 owing to the fact that the screwing of the nut 40 in one direction upon the member 49 will increase the lengthof the connection between the key member 42 and the rocking member 28; consequently diminishing the denotes the movement of said rocking member 28, but, by screwing the nut 50 upon the member 49 in the op osite direction, it will decrease the. length of the connection between the key member 42 and rocking member 28, and, consequently, enable a greater range of movement to the said member 28 when the key member 42 is depressed. When using the attachment, should the operator desire. to send or sound the letter- .H or P, he would shift-from the finger iece of the key 2 to the finger piece of the ey member 42, pressthe key member 42 downwardly, which would rock the member 28 in one direction, 'conse uently, releasing the vibrating arm 24 and a lowing the same to vibrate and contact in an intermittent manner with the point 38 of the contact arm 37. This intermittent contact of the arm 24 .with the oint 38' of the arm 37 sounds the dots. Al that the o' erator has to do is to' watch. the number 0 vibrations of the arm 24, and, when a sufficient number has been made, the key member 42 is released, which causes. the member 28 to engage the weight 25 and move the arm 24 to its inoperative position.- The arm 28 is so set up that it will make dots at a normal rate and will make from one to twelve with great ease. The attachment is readily set up, for the reason that all that it is necessary to do is to connect it in circuit with the telegraph key. 1 It will be evident from the foregoing description taken in connection with'the accompanying drawings that the attachment for telegraph keys is set up which will relieve operators of the strain which they undergo in using the old form key when sounding or sendmg P, H, 6, ,or any other letter or nu meral containing several (lots, for the reasontliat said letter, or numeral can be made by the employment of this attachment with'one stroke, thus .cutting out from two to six strokes and resting the arm of the operator at the same time. The position in which the key member is arranged in relation to the key allows the operator to chan e from one to the other wit out any loss 0 time, thus doing away with the spacing in letters composed of dots and dashes combined. It will furthermore be evident that the attachment is simple, cheap, durable, and not likely to get out of order, and that itis not necessary to employ batteries or magnets, and it is readily set u for operation by attaching it to the key w iich the operator desires to use it on. 4

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A strain relieving attachment for telegraph keys comprising the combination with the key, of a key member arranged in operative relation with respect to said key, a con-' tact, a vertically-extending vibratory arm released by said key member and adapted to intermittently engage said contact, a vibratory spring secured to the lower end of said arm, and means shiftably mounted upon the spring for adjusting the flexibility thereof.

A strain relieving attaclunent for telegraph keys comprising the combination with the key, of a key member arranged in operative relation with respect to said key, a contact, a vertically-extending vibratory arm released by said key member and adapted to intermittently engage. said contact, a vibratory spring secured to the lower end of said arm, means shil'tably mounted upon the spring for adjusting the flexibility thereof, and suitable circuit connections.

"therefor, a contact adapted to be engaged by said arm, a shiftable key member, and an adjustable connection between the key member and said releasing member for operating the latter when the key member isshifted.

4. An attachment for telegraph keys embodying a dot sounding device operated independently of the key, means for adjusting the movement of said device, means for normally lockin said device, and a shiftable key member ar justably connected to said locking means and adapted when operated in one direction to release said locking means thereby permitting of the operation of the dot sounding device.

5. An attachment for telegraph keys embodying the combination with a key, of a shiftable key member arranged in suitable relation with respect to the key, a normally locked sounding device, and means flexibly and ad ustably connected with the key member for releasing such device to permit of the operation thereof when said key member is shifted in one direction.

6. An attachment for telegraph keys, embodying the combination with the key, of a shiftable key member arranged in suitable relation with respect to the key, a normallylocked sounding device, means for releasing said device to permit of the operation thereof, and an adjustable flexible connectionbetween the key member and said means for o erating the latter to release the'sounding evice when the key member is shifted in one direction.

graph keys, comprising the combination with 7. A strain-relieving attachment for telethe key, of a key member arranged in operagraph keys, comprising the combination with the key, of a key member arran ed in operative relation with respect to sai key, a contact, a vertically extending vibratory arm adapted to engage said contact, a vibratory spring secured to the lower end of said arm, means for adjusting the flexibility of said spring, and means for releasing said arm to permit of the operation thereof when the key member is operated.

9. A strain-relieving attachment for telegraph keys, comprising the combination with the key, of a key member arranged in operative relation with respect to said key, a contact, a vertically-extending vibratory arm adapted to intermittently engage said contact, a vibratory spring secured to the lower end of said arm, means for releasing said arm to permit of the operation thereof, and an adjustable connection between said means and said key member for operating said means when the key-member is operated.

10. A strain-relieving attachment for telegraph keys, comprisin the combination with the key, of a key mem er arranged in operative relation with respect to said key, a contact, a vertically-extending vibratory arm adapted to intermittently engage said contact, a vibratory spring secured to the lower end of said arm, means for releasing said arm to permit of the operation thereof, an adjustable connection between said means and said key memberfor operating said means when the key member is operated, and means for adjusting the flexibility of said spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- IIQSSQS. 

